The University of Florida unveiled the “starting point” for the design of the first new academic building in its downtown Jacksonville graduate campus.
The building makes heavy use of glass and angles that would make it stand out when viewed down Bay Street from downtown or from vehicles traveling on Interstate 95 where the highway overlooks the LaVilla section of downtown.
UF released the updated rendering May 12 on the heels of announcing last month it picked Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate as the preferred developer for the first building.
“We are thrilled to have begun design and planning for the first new building for UF Jacksonville,” UF board Chair Mori Hosseini said in a statement. “This updated rendering shows the promise of our efforts.”
He said the rendering “is a starting point.”
“It will evolve as the developer team and the university work together to refine the vision into what ultimately will be a spectacular facility and the keystone of a world-class campus,” he said.
The city is contributing $100 million, the state Legislate approved $150 million and private donors put up $50 million for the graduate campus.
Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate won a competition against other firms for the initial $287.5 million phase of construction, UF announced in April.
Edgemoor’s team draws from national and local firms such as Clark Construction, Auld & White Constructors, OJB Landscape Architecture, HOK, PQH Group Design, England-Thims Miller and Coastal Connections Group.
Hosseini said when UF announced the selection of Edgemoor that it has built an “excellent track record of executing transformative higher education projects on campuses throughout the country.”
UF plans to start classes this fall at the new campus in an existing two-story office building along Bay Street that the school is renovating for academic uses.
UF will move forward with construction on land donated by the city next to that office building.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: UF shows design of first building at downtown Jacksonville grad campus
Reporting by David Bauerlein, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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